I have always love this guys voice from first hearing him played at The Mecca as J.G. Lewis. His vocals are so distinctive, anyone know where he was from ?

Trouble is it's a fairly common name so not so easy to track down, but was thinking he has such a rich set of recording, that I would love to find him and maybe even see if I could get him over here.

Searching the web I found a blog that says he was from Pittsburgh. Now I know this is a long shot but he has one title in his catalog call 'Going home to Georgia', but often song title like that had some truth. I'll try some digging using those two refernce points, but any help from anyone would be helpful.

Cheers

Dave

Searching the web I found a blog that says he was from Pittsburgh. Now I know this is a long shot but he has one title in his catalog call 'Going home to Georgia', but often song title like that had some truth. I'll try some digging using those two refernce points, but any help from anyone would be helpful.

Cheers

Dave

Hi Dave,

Pittsburgh looks right as according to this entry from Billboard magazine from '68: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yQoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=johnny+gilliam+pittsburgh&source=bl&ots=g6_YMgmrcF&sig=Y_LjpLGVJODf8ghdtWrGjgiZwVo&hl=en&ei=airVTNrgOdfPjAe8we3FCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CCoQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=johnny%20gilliam%20pittsburgh&f=false

He's also mentioned here on the Pittsburgh Jazz Network: https://jazzburgher.ning.com/video/1992552:Video:15372 - might be some leads there - best of luck with your search, one the finest voices I've ever heard.

Hi Dave,

Pittsburgh looks right as according to this entry from Billboard magazine from '68: https://books.google....tsburgh&f=false

He's also mentioned here on the Pittsburgh Jazz Network: https://jazzburgher.n...552:Video:15372 - might be some leads there - best of luck with your search, one the finest voices I've ever heard.

Just found this so - hopefully - will help you track him down (Kenny Hawkins who was a member of Johnny's Everything Nice Band has his own page and a link to a MySpace

https://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/KennyHawkins

Hi Dave,

Pittsburgh looks right as according to this entry from Billboard magazine from '68: https://books.google....tsburgh&f=false

He's also mentioned here on the Pittsburgh Jazz Network: https://jazzburgher.n...552:Video:15372 - might be some leads there - best of luck with your search, one the finest voices I've ever heard.

Hi

Thanks for that, yes I found that site also and have asked a few on there for help. I see that he spent some time at Motown, but they felt his voice was to like Jerry Butler, so didn't develope him. Also he played guitar on some of The Marvelette's recordings.

Hi

Thanks for that, yes I found that site also and have asked a few on there for help. I see that he spent some time at Motown, but they felt his voice was to like Jerry Butler, so didn't develope him. Also he played guitar on some of The Marvelette's recordings.

Yeah I read that about Motown too. Seems he also co-wrote Jimmy Ruffin's How Can I Say I'm Sorry with Potts/Whitfield.

Well the sad news is that he died some 15 odd years ago, spoke to a close friend of his earlier today. He was clearly admired in the Phittsburg area by other artists and muscians from what I have been told. Shame none of us over here got to meet him and learn more about his musical life, but it just makes me more determined to meet or speak to as many as possible and hear their story and record what I can, while the oppertunity is still here.

Well the sad news is that he died some 15 odd years ago, spoke to a close friend of his earlier today. He was clearly admired in the Phittsburg area by other artists and muscians from what I have been told. Shame none of us over here got to meet him and learn more about his musical life, but it just makes me more determined to meet or speak to as many as possible and hear their story and record what I can, while the oppertunity is still here.

How very sad.

I used to love "Room Full of Tears", "Tell Your Friend It's Over", "Find Yourself Another" etc. Got a couple of 70s things by him on IX Chains. Sad to hear he died. Mind you, we all do eventually.

That's sad that he didnt have a bigger career, I think he had a unique voice and delivery, I guess some would consider 'Find yourself another' his best but check out 'Wont someone help me' on Paula, a stunning heartbreaking ballad.

PS Love 'Come back Carol' too ! and the one he had on Modern but cant remember the title.

Rob

It seems that everyone I speak to in the U.S. say that record companies viewed his voice as to simular to Jerry Butler. What a problem to have, I would have thought that was a bonus, the oddities of the U.S. music industry.

Searching the web I found a blog that says he was from Pittsburgh. Now I know this is a long shot but he has one title in his catalog call 'Going home to Georgia', but often song title like that had some truth. I'll try some digging using those two refernce points, but any help from anyone would be helpful.

Cheers

Dave

Would make sense as I have a acetate of The Headliners version of "Room Full of Tears / Tell your friend it's over" on Hardman studios Pittsburgh.

It seems that everyone I speak to in the U.S. say that record companies viewed his voice as to simular to Jerry Butler. What a problem to have, I would have thought that was a bonus, the oddities of the U.S. music industry.

Hi Dave

Ain't the flip of his Modern 45 a cover of Jerry Butler's "You Make Me Feel Like Someone" ?

Dave.w

Edited November 14, 201014 yr by Louise

It seems that everyone I speak to in the U.S. say that record companies viewed his voice as to simular to Jerry Butler. What a problem to have, I would have thought that was a bonus, the oddities of the U.S. music industry.

Wasn't it the case that the Motown machine kiboshed JJ Barnes' career when they bought Ric Tic as he sounded "too much' like Marvin Gaye?